Peters



(No Model.)

M. G. CONRAD.

THILL GOUPLING.

" No. 883,864. Patented June 5, 1888.

MERTON e. CONRAD, OF MOGRAWVILLE, New YORK.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 383,864, dated June 5,1888.

Application filed January 13, ISES. Serial No. 260,611. (No model.)

To all wwm may concern:

Be it known that I, MER'roN G. CONRAD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mc- Grawville, in the county of Cortland and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvementsin'Phill-Couplings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings; and it has forits objects the provision of :means whereby the thills may be readilyand quickly detached from Or attached to the vehicle, and a furtherobject is to so arrange the parts that rattling will be prevented.

Vith these objects in View the invention consists in a certain novelconstruction and arrangement of parts for service,which is more fullyset forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure l is a side View of my improved coup ling. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same, taken centrally. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view ofthe axle-clip having the ears and the spring attachedthereto.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the axle, and B theaxle-clip, which is secured thereto in the ordinary mannernamely,integral bolts on its lower end projecting through apertures in aclip-plate and having nuts screwed on their extremities be neath theplate The front side of the clip is provided with the ears D D, havingbearings E E therein, and one of the ears is further provided with aslot, F, which communicates at its inner end with the bearing. This slotis inclined slightly backward toward its upper end, and it is for apurpose which is hereinafter more fully explained.

The thill G is provided with the thilldron H, which is of a V shape andembraces the end of the thill. The inner end of the thil1- iron isprovided with the lateral trunnions I I, which fit and operate in thebearings E E in the ears D D.

It will be seen that when the thill is raised to avertical position orslight] y beyond the vertical the thill-iron will align with the slot F,and if thethills are now moved laterally toward the slot the thill-ironwill pass through the same, and the trunnions will be removed from theirbearings. To replace the thills or return them to their formerconnection with the vehicle, it is simply necessary to reverse the operation just described.

It will be readily seen that the thills cannot be detached from thevehicle when they are in any position except that just described, andtherefore there is no danger of an accidental displacement.

K represents a U-shaped spring comprising the vertical (or approximatelyvertical) arms L and L', and the arm L is attached rigidly to the frontside of the axle-clip between the ears D D. The front side of the clipis provided with a perforation, b, and the arm L is provided with aperforation, Z, which aligns therewith, and a rivet or bolt, M, ispassed through the aligned perforations. The front arm, L', of thespring is provided at its upper end with an outward-turned hook, N, uponwhich the lower side of the thill-iron is designed to bear. Then thethill is drawn down into its operative position, it depresses the frontside or arm ofthe spring, and consequently the spring exerts a constantupward pressure upon the rear end of the thill. This pressure causes thetrunnions on the sides of the thill-irons to bear against the uppersides of their bearings, and as the bearings wear the spring stillexerts its upward pressure. The result of this is, that there can be norattle in the bearings of the thill-irons even when the bearings becomeconsiderably worn.

The advantages of this simple and cheap de vice will be readily seen.The spring is arranged between the bearingears and under the thill, andis consequently out of the way; it requires no adjustment; it allows thethill an easy vertical swinging motion; its con struction and attachmentare such as to prevent damage or displacement, and it may be appliedreadily to any ordinary thill-coupling now 1n use.

Having thus described olaiml. In a thill-coupling, the combination, withthe aXle-clip and the ears D D on the front side of the clip, havingrearwardly-inclined slots F F therein, of the thill-iron having lateraltrunnions which are mounted in the said slots, and the U-shaped springL, attached to the clip between the ears and bearing against myinvention, I

IOO

the under side of the thill-iron in front of the ears, substantially asspecified.

2. In a thili-coupling, the combination of said ears, substantially asand for thepurpose ,the axle-clip having a perforation, b, in its frontside and the ears D D on the clip, the U-shaped spring, comprising thearm L, having a perforation, Z, aligning with the perf0 ration b, andthe arm L', having a hook on its free end, the rivet or its equivalentengaging the aligned perforations b and Z, and the thill bearing on thespring between the ears D and to having trnnnions mounted in bearings inthe specified. V

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signaturein presence of two witnesses.

MERTON G. CONRAD.

Witnesses:

DAVID S. ANDERSON, T. H. GREEN.

